PBH / colombia (travelguide, pictures) / post

Scary couple of minutes but did my good deed for the day.

Late this morning I was driving my GF home up the canalizacion by Consumo in Belen and we came accross a big crowd. A cop flagged me over and asked quite sternly "Adonde Vas??!!" I thought maybe there was a robbery or murder and maybe I fit the suspects bill so I got scared. I timidly replied "derrecho a la casa de mi novia". The officer calmer now said, "me haces un gran favor, te cuento hay un hombre moriendo alla en el piso." I interrupted him and told him get him in to the car quickly and Id rush him to the hospital. Some big brute older ladies scooped him up and into the back seat and all climbed in. So I headed contravia down the canalizacion pounding the horn. I was going to bring him to the hospital down the same canalizacion down past my business. So I raced there in no time and when we got there, everyone was screaming for a stretcher but no one was helping so I grabbed him out of the back seat and carried him in over my shoulder firefighter style and laid him on a stretcher inside where some doctors and nurses finally came. The brute (but very nice!) ladies thought it was a heart attack but he wasnt blue at all and he was probably early 40s and was quite thin, his eyes were rolled back into his head so although Im not a doctor, I think it may have been more an epeleptic seizure. The ladies stayed with him. Ill stop by the hospital in the afternoon to see if he pulled through.

By spigrimace on Jul 23, 2008, 10:41 in Friendly Talkzone.

MaFe says on Jul 23, 2008, 10:47:

That was very nice of you! Not too many people would have done that! I also find it nice that you will be going back in the afternoon to check on him.

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle

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lanegrapaisa says on Jul 23, 2008, 10:48:

Way to go Spigrimace!. I finally found Champions the other week, I'll go have a drink soon. You have tequila ,right?

Hasta el santo Papa tira peos!

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Jul 23, 2008, 10:49:

One day you're launching gas cylinders at your enemies (although that might have been a day dream, I can't remember), the next you're breaking the windows of your lazy, no-good contractor, and today you might have helped save a guy's life.

Never a dull moment in Medellin!

;-)

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SUERTE GRINGO says on Jul 23, 2008, 11:30:

My hero.It seems you've made yourself right at home in Medellin, good for you.

“If you're gonna eat your crackers in bed, you're gonna have to sleep with crumbs."

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robert555 says on Jul 23, 2008, 11:47:

your some man keep it going

robertscotland

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webmanco says on Jul 23, 2008, 11:50:

Spigrimace good job.

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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dwmte7 says on Jul 23, 2008, 12:10:

one good deed deserves another. proud of you lad.....keep up the good work.
douglas

how's life and negotios in belen these days?

dwmte

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truthspeaker says on Jul 23, 2008, 12:15:

oh... an epeleptic seizure?
So you did not even got blood on your seats. Good.

Great, Cris!

Remember, I can only tell the truth. No more Sex Tourism in Colombia.

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Mononoke28 says on Jul 23, 2008, 13:36:

Wow! That's pretty amazing and quite a story. Good for you.

Diana

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nueva york bombero says on Jul 23, 2008, 15:47:

"carried him in over my shoulder firefighter style"
I'll be the judge of that!!! Kidding!
Bravo! Karma man, Karma!

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Corey3368 says on Jul 23, 2008, 16:28:

Great job!

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Corey3368 says on Jul 23, 2008, 16:28:

let us now how he makes out after you visit him

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Simon says on Jul 23, 2008, 17:29:

Way to go Spigrimace! Te felicito!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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spigrimace says on Jul 23, 2008, 17:48:

Hi everyone. I walked down to the hospital. Bad news. Unfortunately, the gentleman didnt make it. Afterwards I went to my girlfriends barrio and all I know about him after talking to a few people is that he was a poor guy from Belen Zafra. Say a prayer for his soul tonight.

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rhydewithdis says on Jul 23, 2008, 18:23:

spig, you're a good guy.

I'll stop by your place to say hello when I am down there again soon.

btw, I read a great article in the new yorker the other day on a plane ride home about a guy from japan that owned a jazz bar and ran everyday and then eventually became a novelist and sold the jazz bar. I wanted to send you the article b/c he had a great philosophy about the way he ran his place -- made me think of you right away. I searched for the article online but unfortunately they didn't put it up (abstract here: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/09/080609fa_fact_murakami)

anyway he said something to the effect of, he knew if he treated his clientele as good as he possibly could, 10% of the customers would return again and again. If he did that often enough with each ten new people that came, he would eventually have a place that was full of people that enjoyed being there and came back again and again. His place did very well and he was able to eventually sell it and pursue his real dream of becoming a novelist.

They said I couldn't play football I was too small / They say I couldn't play basketball I wasn't tall / They say I couldn't play baseball at all / And now everyday of my life I ball.

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chrispej says on Jul 23, 2008, 21:09:

Congrats spigrimace! You have become an honorary "PAISA". Welcome aboard.......

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Catfish35 says on Jul 24, 2008, 02:00:

COME DOWN EVERYONE !!!!
That was me he carried into the hospital. I got one of most favorite foods lodged in my throat.....the chalky, the tasteless, is it a flying saucer? no..is it a discus?...no...piece of drywall maybe?...again no..the one the only my bestest favorito...the dreaded....A R E P J A !!!!!!!!

"So many guns, and so few brains". sam spade

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Catfish35 says on Jul 24, 2008, 02:01:

I'm ok ...thanks Sppriggy

"So many guns, and so few brains". sam spade

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marbelmorales says on Jul 24, 2008, 09:07:

That was indeed a noble deed. I'm sorry he did not make it and will certaily pary for his soul and his family...

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

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vicshere says on Jul 24, 2008, 09:40:

sorry to rain on your big parada here...but I think it was a foolish thing to do...letting your guard down in Colombia could get yourself killed or at least robbed...if someone what's to go to the hospital in Colombia they call a taxi plain and simple...at night picking someone up and taking them to the hospital... even asked by a policeman for me is a no no plain and simple...believe me if it was you on the side of the road you would have to wait for the taxi....I say you were lucky

listo

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dwmte7 says on Jul 24, 2008, 09:54:

you're right, vic.....that was rain on the parade. he did the right thing. trying to help save a mans life.

i know what you're talking about.two friends of mine from poblado went ot a movie downtown and when they left the cine, and were getting in the car, a ladron came up with a pistol and told the driver to give him the keys. instead of doing that, he threw them over the car to his friend and then the ladron shot him to death and ran off. my other friend loaded him in the car and drove to a hospital. he was lucky they accepted the story.

dwmte

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